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"And the Baboon Played Chess" is not a book primarily about chess. But there are cuttings in the book about chess.

AUTOMATON FIGURES, OR ANDROIDES
They are made to perform human actions, and are of early invention. Archytas' flying dove was formed about 400 B.C. Friar Bacon made a brazen head that could speak, A.D. 1264. Albertus Magnus spent thirty years in making another. A coach and two horses, with a footman, a page, a lady inside, were made by Camus, for Louis XIV when a child; the horses and figures moved naturally, variously and perfectly, 1649. Vaucanson made an artificial duck, which performed every function of a real one, even an imperfect digestion, eating, drinking, and quacking. Vaucanson also made a flute-player, 1738. The writing androides, exhibited in 1769, was a pentograph worked by a confederate out of sight; so were also the automaton chess-player, exhibited the same year, and "the invisible girl," exhibited in 1800.

CHARLES V
The emperor used to unbend his mind in the society of a large baboon, which he had taught to play chess, a game the emperor was remarkably fond of. One day the animal checkmated the emperor, upon which, being extremely irritated, he took up the chess-board, and struck the ape so violent a blow on the head that the blood flowed; but, on recollection, seeing the absurdity of his conduct, he soothed the poor animal, which with some difficulty became again familiar with him.
Some time after the emperor invited the baboon again to his favourite amusement, when the animal again checkmated the emperor, and recollecting the emperor's anger on the former occasion sprung from his seat, and hid himself under the table, from whence he was enticed with great difficulty.

CHESS player, the celebrated Philidor, who played two games at once blindfolded; he died in London, 1795.

GERMAN PATIENCE
A German was playing at chess, when one of his friends entered the cafe, about nine in the evening, and asked him "how he was." The German, quite wrapped up in his game, answered not a word; but, on finishing the game at about eleven o'clock, he turned round and said - "tolerably well, and how is it with you?" He received no answer in reply: how could he? - his friend had been in bed nearly two hours.

I will be adding more old cuttings about chess soon, so please come back soon!